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Jacksonville Radio 2009

O

olmjax

Hello,

I am new to the post but I would like to put in my two cents regarding 102.9 The Point. I think that Cox Radio should blow up The Point because it is one of the lowest rated FM radio stations in Jacksonville despite the fact that has one of the strongest signals in the market (100kW). Its rating, which is a 1.7, is tied with a 5kW AM urban gospel station (WCGL) and a sports station (WJXL) in the latest Arbitron book. Since Cox Radio has the top-ranked station in the market, WOKV AM/FM, I think that they should move their FM simulcast from 106.5, which is only a 6kW Class A radio station, to the much more powerful 102.9 frequency so that their FM station can cover the entire Jacksonville market and surrounding areas such as St. Augustine, Palatka, Fernandina Beach, and South Georgia. As for 106.5 FM, I think it could become an urban gospel station since Clear Channel blew up "Hallelujah 92.7" on November 10, 2008 after they sold the station to Flagler County Broadcasting. Halleujah 92.7, according to the latest Arbitron book, was the 10th-ranked station in the Jacksonville market with a rating of 3.2, which is much higher than The Point despite the fact that the signal of 92.7 is a rimshot at best. I encourage feedback for this idea and I look forward to reading your suggestions concerning this blog.
 
FROM AN OLE' SCHOOL DUDE, WORKED WAPE=FM (1985 WITH HOYLE DEMPSEY) I WORKED THE OVERNIGHTS AS 'DR. ZOOM' (A MARK DRISCOLL GIVEN NAME) lol...I REMEMBER WAPE-FM, IN FACT, MOST WILL NOT REMEMBER, BUT BACK WHEN 'APE-FM ' FIRST SIGNED ON UNDER. MARK DRISCOLL, I WAS THE FIRST ON THE AIR, (DR. ZOOM ) I WORKED OVERNIGHTS, (1985, I WAS 26 YRS OLD AND THOUGHT WE WERE THE HOTTEST STATION IN THE WORLD)! AT 12:01 AM WE FLIPPED THE SWITCH. IT WAS HOYLE DEMPSEY, FIZZ' CAME LATER...KANDY KLUTCH, MARCUS AURELIUS (MARK DRISCOLL) CADILLAC JACK , BOBBY OCEAN AND ME (DR. ZOOM)...I AM 49 NOW..LIVING IN DALLAS, TX. FORMERLY (2007) FROM ABC RADIO NETWORKS, I CAN BE SEEN AS YOU GOOGLE: GREG ROBERTS AND CLICK IMAGES, WHERE I AM WEARING A BLACK RADIO JACKET. (BLACK DUDE) I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH HOYLE IF ANYONE KNOWS HIS WHEREABOUTS! HE'LL KNOW "DR. ZOOM' FROM THE MID 80'S, I WOULD ALWAYS HANG AROUND THE STUDIO AND HELP WITH THE MORNING SHOW! GOD BLESS YOU HOYLE. [email protected]
 
the last thing wokv needs is that signal. if they do anything with it, put cool back on there. somehow i think cool would work on there... come on, wokv has a monster signal as it is... i think oldies would win in jax but that is my oppinion...
 
Look, it is what it is. As the economy continues to dominate the news, I believe reasonable people would agree that we are where we are because business decisions made in both the government and private sectors over the last several years were certainly not correct and sound ones.

This applies to radio as well and Cox Radio, in particular, chose to in effect neuter their music station cluster and take decision-making away from the PD. What remains are reduced operating expenses via all the talent cuts but have produced nothing more than lifeless shells of once was. The listener is not emotionally tied to this product.

I can appreciate your mentioning Cool FM but give me a break. While I never like to say never, let’s just say it is highly doubtful Cox Radio would reverse a business decision and bring back even an updated version of the format. Frankly, they just don’t have the class to do what CBS Radio did in NYC when they brought back the format to WCBS-FM. As I say, it is what it is and the Jax market is just stuck with these people. It is not love of the format that makes me say this but I’m convinced they made a big mistake when they did what they did. Decisions may appear to be correct when they are made, but when the listener is left with fewer choices as a result; the listener will seek other alternatives.

As I have said on many other occasions, the only real bright spot in Jacksonville radio is WOKV. That station is run very well and frankly I keep my fingers crossed they don’t try to screw that operation up by cutting talent. Since returning back to Jax a couple weeks ago from a few weeks in South Florida, I haven’t listened to anything else.

With regard to WMXQ, the playlist is as stale as last week’s bread. I don’t fault the PD or even the talent. They are given narrow rules to operate. It’s the format that is sold and so I guess no matter how bad the numbers, as long as there are 30 “something’s” listening management can pat themselves on the back with the billing they do get.

The Point can do much better and I think we all know that. We’ve been discussing that for years now. As I mentioned earlier, I was in South Florida for a few weeks and got to hear a lot from their “sister” station, WFLC (The Coast). That, they do right. The station has a personality and even their 80s music weekends have a lot of wow songs in them with more variety in the music. Yes, I know Miami is a big market but still it was great to hear a human voice on the weekends. From what I could tell it was live and for me, the decision for a lot of Jax stations to go automated on the weekends at night just makes for very dull radio.

My ranting won’t change anything but I take comfort in knowing I have been proven right all along. Jacksonville radio in a word is bad and it is this way because of bad decisions. With the New Year comes new opportunity. Those who make the right decisions and who work hard and who think about the listener for a change will be the ones who can survive these hard economic times.
 
Radio, proved they're are good at finding new ways to cut expenses, doing more with less and distributing cheapened content over multiple channels....

Radio failed to understand it's in the entertainment business. Producing rich compelling content, not found on every iPod like cloned service.

Free music is everyplace today.. A $19.99 mp3 player can handle 1000 songs.. And radio's listeners can hear any 1000 songs they want, when they want..

News, weathers and traffics... Again technology easily provides similar services, found anyplace today..

What's left, what can radio can produce or create that's unique and can't be found anyplace else?

Part of that answer lies in the very people who're being fired..

Radio's leaders are again suffering from shortsighted vision and seemingly forgot they're still in the entertainment business. I can’t make this up…

I'm disgusted

“Radio is finished as we know it. But that doesn't seem to matter to people in radio. They talk a big game... The guys that run radio are these big people and they regard themselves as big people... I laugh because they are big in their own minds." - Cramer
 
Here, here Pocket-Radio! Brilliant post/observation and I love that quote - but how I wish you were writing the intro to a fiction story and not telling us how it really is.

Interesting you bring up the mp3 player. I can't get into specifics because it's privledged client info but today I'm finishing up a research project involving high school kids and technology. For music, radio was hardly mentioned as something they turn to. They are into iPods, their computers and even their iphones for downloading tunes. I'm doing the same too to hear music I want to hear. What does this spell for the future of radio?

I totally agree pocket, the suits are great at cutting expenses. Radio is the Titanic, we all know what lies ahead if they stay the course. Many of us can be heard saying, turn around, iceberg dead ahead, reverse course! Gees, didn't the White Star Line management make another bad decision in not having enough lifeboats. I guess they were only focussed on saving money too.

Heaven help us all. I am very depressed today about all of this.
 
John the awareness of radio's next generation being unplugged isn't really new..
It's been going on for a while. I urge you to visit any college dorm to discover first hand how ipods and computers have replaced radios. You won't find portables. Visit any office locally in Jacksonville that employs people 18-34 and what you'll see is workers, wearing those little earbuds, plugged into an ipod, iphone, slacker player, generic mp3 player, cell phone/mp3 player or desktop..

You and I and others get this concept, radio just doesn't get it..

BlackBerry and Iphone/iphod users, can easily download a free plugin to listen to Pandora or last.fm.
Plus nationwide wireless internet access is coming and with either a free or paid service, every dashboard is going to be internet enabled. At CES Blaupunkt introduced the first internet radio made for the car.

What I'm saying is content that was once unique to radio, is now offered and easily found on channels other than radio. Jocks who can hold a large audience are a dying breed.

I'm not saying people won't listen to radio, I am saying the audience will be more fractured and radio's shares plus TSL will decline further. It's a long way to the bottom, radio is vulnerable and has the most to lose...

AD buyers perceive radio to be no longer cutting edge, out of the loop. Radio's consolidators say it's a perception problem, well perception is reality. Ad buyers are typically young

To help your research check out: http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/ for further reading..
 
People don't get fired -- people fire themselves. So if you are lucky to get back in the door -- pull more weight.
 
Since WROO (92.7 FM) is moving to Flagler County, I think that someone with the financial capital could buy WFJO (92.5 FM) of Folkston, GA, which is now part of the Andy Johnson's Progressive Talk Show Network, with WHJX (105.7 FM) of Baldwin, FL and WSJF (105.5 FM) of St. Augustine Beach, FL. As a result of WROO moving south, WFJO can move its transmitter closer to Jacksonville in order to cover the Jacksonville market better than it does now. This station, which is currently a FM Class A (6kW with a 100 meter tower height or equivalent), only covers the northwestern parts of Duval County with a relatively decent signal. However, there are some other stations nearby that this station must protect in order to get FCC approval. The two stations that will affect the new 92.5 FM are WBGA (92.7 FM) in St. Simons Island, GA (near Brunswick, GA) and WNDT (92.5 FM) in Alachua, FL (near Gainesville, FL), which are also FM Class A facilities. My proposal, however, will protect those two stations, particuarly WNDT, which is on the same frequency as WFJO. The new WFJO will have the same coverage pattern as WJSJ (105.3 FM). Furthermore, the transmitter will be located on the same tower as WJSJ, which is located in northeastern Duval County, near the Oceanway area of Jacksonville. Due to the location of the transmitter, which is near Jacksonville's African-American community, and the strength of the signal, it will not be a good station to program oldies or smooth jazz. On the other hand, it will be an ideal place for an urban-type format, such as urban gospel or urban AC. The most inexpensive way to make this change on WFJO is to simply move the transmitter from the current tower, which is located near Hilliard, FL, to the WJSJ tower. This will save money because the company doesn't need to purchase a new transmitter since the power and the antenna height will be exactly the same from the current tower to the new tower.The coverage maps (from Radio-Locator.com ) of the mentioned stations are posted below:
1) WJSJ and the proposed WFJO: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WJSJ&service=FM&status=L&hours=U 2) WBGA in St. Simon's Island, GA: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WBGA&service=FM&status=L&hours=U 3) WNDT in Alachua, FL: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WNDT&service=FM&status=L&hours=U 4) The current WFJO: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WFJO&service=FM&status=L&hours=U
 
pocket-radio said:
Radio, proved they're are good at finding new ways to cut expenses, doing more with less and distributing cheapened content over multiple channels....

Radio failed to understand it's in the entertainment business. Producing rich compelling content, not found on every iPod like cloned service.

Free music is everyplace today.. A $19.99 mp3 player can handle 1000 songs.. And radio's listeners can hear any 1000 songs they want, when they want..

News, weathers and traffics... Again technology easily provides similar services, found anyplace today..




"Free Music" will never replace us "BOSS JOCKS" of the 60's and 70's at great stations like the "MIGHTY 690" LS, CFL ABC QAM, FUN< NOX and all the hundreds others..YTou "Newbies don't have a clue" BIG APE!
What's left, what can radio can produce or create that's unique and can't be found anyplace else?

Part of that answer lies in the very people who're being fired..

Radio's leaders are again suffering from shortsighted vision and seemingly forgot they're still in the entertainment business. I can’t make this up…

I'm disgusted

“Radio is finished as we know it. But that doesn't seem to matter to people in radio. They talk a big game... The guys that run radio are these big people and they regard themselves as big people... I laugh because they are big in their own minds." - Cramer
Click to expand...
 
Radio Jax, Interesting that out of all the subjects of the past year, you chose to go through the effort to specifically seek and resurface this one to make it your first post. My friend, idiots we are not but slap us on the backside and call us suspicious.

Yeah, I saw that piece of garbage in the news and I didn’t believe it was post-worthy. But my goodness, even a year ago I cited all the reasons the old Point was heading for failure. That’s now old news but it doesn’t change how “you guys” couldn’t sustain a format that could have evolved into something really good for our market.

Now you are engaged in juvenile name calling and a pissing contest while tearing down a heritage station that you are not nor will you ever be if you continue doing this. IMHO, your methods of operations disgust me. I’ll go on the record now to say Planet at least takes the high road. To me, that means even more than the ratings. So continue with your revenue dares and if a few people wind up loosing their livelihood as a result, pat yourselves on the back for a job well done.

While at it, we have a country format battle. If there is a bright spot here, let’s be grateful the same thinking that exists over at Cox doesn’t exist between QIK and Gator. If Robbie and Boomer were instructed to constantly put down Steve and company and vice-versa at every turn, that would perhaps start out cute but it would get old fast. In the end, listeners will get turned off by it. Sure, there is competition but if winners are to be determined, let it be from content and innovative programming and not from name calling.

There’s a lot of good spirit of competition in our town and we have a lot of broadcasters who truly are professional and who work hard to keep and grow their audience. You guys at Cox have an empty building and put your efforts into insipid sweepers. Enjoy your success while it lasts, but personally I’m routing for Planet to win in the long-run!
 
John, I wouldn't call Planet "heritage". For starters, they're no longer alternative as they once were, but active. Signal moves, studio moves & fewer warm bodies in studio have made Planet vulnerable. X is engaged in guerilla marketing, which in youth oriented radio, is perfectly acceptable.

I fail to see your issue here.

G
 
The fact that you fail to see an issue is one of the major problems of radio today. Nonetheless I respect your opinion to say and think as you feel. But let's not split hairs over format variance. For marketing reasons both stations are listed as alternative. If Planet was so different, the assult would lessen or not exist at all. In end it's new rock. They are both targeting the same listeners pure and simple.

Planet is an established brand for what over 10 years- listeners who hear of it - know what to expect. I believe this is part of being heritage and I don't believe heritage necessary equates to tenure. So, for sake of compromise let's attempt to agree that X is the baby sibling and Planet is the older brother.

The reality is Cox Radio failed in numerous formats in that great 102.9 signal many would cut their arm off to have. So we are where we are. Guerilla marketing as you call it is an option. They could have chosen another course to launch their station - they didn't. It's an area I will disagree with others who believe in this method. I believe we can do better and I believe those at Planet deserve credit for not jumping into the gutter. I give the listeners regardless of age more credit for intelligence and making station choice than those who run stations do. I still say if there is room for a competitor - fine but being so vindictive in a market our size is almost laughable. And that's just my opinion.

Listeners in our town are jumping to anything new and exciting because there is so little of it. Business makes choices everyday. While there will always be points in which there will be disagreement, I remind you all of history. It's this same outfit (Cox Radio) who made a choice to fire a lot of loyal, talented people on Christmas Day many moons ago. Some call it a business decision. They certainly had other options but it should prove what their core values really are. I'm sorry, I just believe we can do so much better and that's why I can't support how they arrive at success.
 
The fact that you fail to see an issue is one of the major problems of radio today.
Click to expand...

JohnJax, are you saying that Guerilla marketing and "sand kicking" NEVER ONCE happened in the past? Because, it has. Some of the most successful stations that came in and took on a "heritage stations" are still around-- the "heritage" is not. I'm not speaking of Jacksonville specifically, but around the country over the last 60 years.

Cox made a fantastic decision by putting X on 102.9, say what you will with Point-- they let a good format flounder, whatever. Fact is, Point was failing, they saw the writing on the wall and attacked Planet. We can only hope this success for Cox continues.

I'm sorry this Guerilla marketing has offended you John.
 
Guy, as a history buff and someone who has listened to a lot of radio, I have no other alternative than to agree with you. Attacking one station so its’ notoriety rubs off on the other station is a strategy as old as the hills. Others have used it and it will be used tomorrow. I didn’t care much for that strategy then and I don’t subscribe to it today. As one who has had an active life traveling all over the place, all I can say is I have never seen it or heard it taken to this degree. What’s next, a criticism of what toilet paper they use? I just think it’s gotten to the ridiculous.

There are subtle and I believe far more professional ways to position a station and set it apart from competition. I prefer to think of the success many stations have experienced over the ages who fend off competition by simply being better than everyone else. What a concept. Here's a success story worth mentioning.

A while back while driving around town, I came upon a lot of WQIK billboards. When I first saw them, my first thought was that they were just brilliant. They simply state “WQIK Jacksonville’s Country Station.” There are just a few words but I believe it to be subtle, extremely subliminal and it drives a loyalty/heritage station message home. Despite incredible competition, no one can deny that WQIK has been trending upwards and the station can’t be called anything but a success. Effective marketing can help but listeners have to like what they hear once they tune in.

Look, we all can’t march to the beat of the same drummer. For those of you who love how X conducts itself and how they derived success, more power to you. I won’t change your mind and mine won’t be changed either. Life goes on. There are lots of avenues to success and I just prefer that high road.
 
ROFLMAO. Planet is a Heritage Station?

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

That's the funniest thing I've read in this thread in years - Next you'll be telling us how Lex and Terry on Planet are still Top Ranked in the ratings - and that X isn't killing Planet in the ratings. ::)
 
Look, I’ve put my foot in my mouth lots of time and I’m the first to laugh at myself, learn from mistakes and then I move on. I acknowledged my use of the term “heritage” was probably a stretch but I still made the comparison that one station is very new and the other has been around awhile. Factually, that statement is accurate and I stand by it.

If criticism helps generate response, I prefer that to the normal apathy around subjects Jacksonville. But really, the focus in this string should not concern itself with definitions but rather in how radio in our town conducts itself to achieve goals.

When I post, I attempt to bring a lot of thought and research into the discussion and this string was no exception. On the subject of X, if one bothers to look, I acknowledged a number of times that 102.9 must have recognized opportunity – a hole in the market. I indicated too that Planet may have even brought some of this on themselves. In addition, I also recognized X’s successful launch and retention of audience. But from day one, I also expressed distaste for slamming a competitor hour after hour.

There’s a lot of stuff that is subjective. Personally, I find the sweepers that get preachy annoying because they take away from the music. It’s a major reason I can’t listen to Eagle for more than a few songs worth of time. For those of you who like what you hear on X, perhaps over time you too will begin to say – OK, enough already with Planet. Just play the music and STFU. Is this marketing strategy to go on forever? I doubt Planet is going away any time soon as there is a lucritive demo involved.

What I tried to bring out in the discussion is there are fine examples in our town of competition that doesn’t get personal. Without sounding like a broken record, we have Gator and “QIK in a battle and really both work hard. They co-exist and both can take credit for their market impacts and in revenue generation. Listeners are not held hostage in the battle. Both engage in things that promote themselves but there is no need to ridicule and put down the other. Gator hosts concerts every once in a while. That helps market the station. IMHO, it would be a sad day if the next day Boomer or Robbie ripped the acts or those who attended the show. I see very little merit in that.

So, I’ve made my peace. I prefer to celebrate the positive and those who handle competition in a professional manner. I can only call it as I see it but I think it keeps some dignity in the business of radio and that should be worth something.
 
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